Outboard propeller mechanism for sea going vessels



Aug. 19, 1958 A. w. WANZER OUTBOARD PROPELLER MECHANISM FOR SEA GOING VESSELS Filed Dec. 13, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVE/VT'OR HIT/Ill? H! Wfl/VZIR I a -fma a.

HTTOR/Viy Aug. 19, 1958 A. w. WANZER 2,847,968

OUTBOARD PROPELLER MECHANISM FOR SEA coxuc VESSELS Filed Dec. 13. 1954 5 She ets-Sheet 2 Aug. 19, 1958 A. w. WANZER OUTBOARD PROPELLER MECHANISM FOR SEA GOINGIVESSELS 5'Shets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 15. 1954 emziaam ATTORA/EY Aug. 19, 1958 A. w. WANZER 2,847,968

OUTBOARD PROPELLER MECHANISM FOR SEA GOING VESSELS Filed Dec. 15, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 :1 '"7 /3 iii 43 20 g- 19, 19 58 A. w. WANZER 2,847,968

OUTBOARD PROFELLER MECHANISM FOR SEA GOING VESSELS Filed D80. 13, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 GUTBOARD PROPELLER lVIECHANISM FOR SEA GOING VESSELS Arthur W. Wanzer, Hingham, Mass. Application December 13, 1954, Serial No. 474,946 7 Claims. (Cl. 11541) This invention relates to an outboard propeller mechanism for seago-ing vessels, and especially to an outboard propeller mechanism such as is shown in United States Patents Nos. 2,499,339, February 28, 1950; 2,532,470, December 5, 1950; and 2,579,221, December 18, 1951.

The propeller mechanism illustrated in said patents comprises a propelling unit which is mounted on the deck of the vessel and which includes a motor, a depending propeller housing having a propeller at its lower end and a driving mechanism between the motor and the propeller which extends through the propeller housing. Furthermore, in each of said patents the motor is mounted on a motor-support which is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the deck of the vessel, and the propeller housing is constructed to turn relative to the motor about a horizontal axis for the purpose of raising the propeller from or lowering it into the water.

In the device shown in said patents the driving mechanism is constructed so that it is not disrupted by the swinging movement of the propeller housing about the horizontal axis but is operative for turning the propeller in all positions which the housing may assume during its turning movement.

in the device herein illustrated the propeller housing and the motor-support on which the motor is mounted have a permanent fixed relation to each other and the motor-support and the propeller housing turn as a single unit about a horizontal axis as said housing is raised from or lowered into the water.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel construction which by the propelling unit may be turned about either one of two horizontal axes for the purpose of reds ing and lowering the propeller housing, which axes are spaced a fixed distance from each other in the fore and art direction of the vessel. In this construction a turning movement of the propelling unit about one axis is in a counter clockwise direction and will swing the propeller housing upwardly and backwardly, while a turning movement about the other axis is in a clockwise direction and will swing the propeller housing forwardlyand upwardly.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention one of the two axes is situated at the front end of the propelling unit and the other at the rear end thereof.

The swinging movement of the propelling unit about the first axis permits the propeller housing to swing backwardly about the front axis if at any time the propeller portion of the unit strikes a submerged obstruction during the forward movement of the vessel, and thereby the propeller housing will slide over the submerged article without causing any damage. This will be what happens When the housing strikes a submerged object while the vessel is moving forward.

On the other hand, if the vessel is moving backwardly and the lower end of the propeller housing strikes a submerged object, the propelling unit will then swing clockwise about the other or rear horizontal axis and will thus nited States Patent slide over such object without damaging the mechanism.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated a selected embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an outboard propeller mechanism embodying my invention, the stern end of the vessel on which it is mounted being illustrated;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the propeller housing partially raised;

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 illustrates the well in the stern of the vessel on which the device is mounted;

Fig. 6 shows the manner in which the propelling unit is turned about the horizontal axis to allow the propeller housing to clear a submerged article when the vessel is moving backwardly.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a porof the means for pivotally mounting the propelling unit to turn about one of the horizontal axes;

Fig. 8 is a sectional perspective view illustrating one of the shear pins;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a means for securing the base member to the deck of a vessel.

in the drawings, 1 indicates the stern of a vessel, which may and 2 indicates a propelling unit embodying my invention The propelling unit includes a motor which may be an internal combustion engine or a motor of any other type, and which is illustrated diagrammatically at 3 and is mounted on a motor-support 4, a depending propeller housing 5 carrying a propeller 6 at its lower end and driving connections between the motor 3 and the propeller. Such driving connections are shown as a power shaft 7 actuated by the motorand which is connected by bevel gears 8 with a vertical driving shaft 9 situated within the propeller housing, said shaft 9 being connected by bevel gears 10 with the propeller shaft 11. It will be understood, of course, that the shafts 7, 9, and 11 are suitably mounted in bearings carried within the propeller housing. The propeller housing is shown as having at its lower end a guard fin 12 which extends below the propeller and which guards the propeller against being injured by a submerged object.

The propeller housing 5 is made with the upper section 13 enclosing the bevel gears 8, and the lower section 14 which carries the propeller 6. the lower section being secured to the upper section so that it can rotate about a vertical axis for steering the boat, as set forth in the above referred to patents. The section 14 of the propeller housing can be turned through an angle of to place the propeller in the dotted line position, Fig. 1, and when the such as shown in any one of the above mentioned patents, may be used for turning the lower section 14 of the housing for steering the boat or reversing its direction of movement.

in the construction herein shown the vessel is provided at its stern with a well 15 which extends vertically through the vessel and is open at the rear thereof, the propelling which the motor-support is adapted to rest. The two members 16 are mounted on the deck of the vessel at either side of the well 15, and said members are shown as extending forwardly beyond the well for a suitable distance, as shown at 18 in Fig. 1. The motor-support 4 is pivoted at its front end to the front end of the members 16, and as herein shown said motor-support is provided with two oppositely disposed trunnions 19 which extend through openings formed in the vertical legs of the members 16.

The support member comprising the two side members 16 is normally supported by a base member comprising two angle iron members 20 that are bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the deck of the vessel. The support members 16 normally nest into the base members 20, as indicated best in Fig. 3. The rear ends of the support members 16 are pivotally connected to the rear ends of the base members 20, as indicated at 21, this pivotal connection being provided for by trunnions which are rigid with the support members 16 and which extend through openings in the vertical legs of the base members 20. The support members 16 and the base members 20 are normally held in their operative position shown in Fig. 1 by means of shear pins 22 which extend through the vertical legs of the support members and base members. Since the pivotal connection 19 by which the propeller unit is pivoted to the support member is at the front end thereof, while the pivotal connection 21 between the support member and the base is at the rear end of said support member, the two horizontal axes about which the propeller unit may turn are not only parallel to each other but are spaced a fixed distance apart.

Fig. 1 shows in full lines the position of the propelling unit when it is operating under normal conditions for propelling the vessel 1 forwardly. If during such forward movement the guard 12 at the bottom of the propeller housing strikes a submerged object 32, the strain on the propeller housing, which, as stated above, is rigidly secured to the motor-support 4 will cause the entire propelling unit to swing counter clockwise about the horizontal axis 19, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby clearing the submerged object without damage. After the submerged object has been cleared, the propelling unit may be returned to its normal operating position as shown in Fig. 1.

As stated above, if it is desired to reverse the direction of motion of the vessel, the lower section 14 of the propeller housing is turned 180 into the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 1 or in full lines Fig. 6, with the result that the vessel will be propelled backwardly. If during such reverse movement of the vessel the guard fin 12 encounters a submerged object 32, the strain on the propeller housing will cause the rupture of the shear pins 22 and the entire propelling unit 2 together with the support members 16 will swing clockwise about the horizontal axis 21, as indicated in Fig. 6, thereby allowing the housing to clear the submerged object without causing any damage to the propeller. After the object has been cleared, the propelling unit may be returned to its normal operating position shown in Fig. 1, it being understood that the ruptured shear pins will then be replaced by new shear pins.

The propelling unit 2 is shown as having a casing or housing 30 which encloses the motor 3, and said propelling unit is also illustrated as being equipped with a steering wheel 31 which may be operatively connected in any suitable manner to the rotatable portion 14 of the propeller housing for steering the boat, the patents above mentioned illustrating a suitable means for this purpose.

It will be understood, of course, that if it is desired to swing the propelling unit about either horizontal axis while the boat is at rest, a suitable power mechanism for this purpose may be provided.

I claim:

1. The combination of a sea going vessel of the known type having a propelling unit including a motor-support .4 having a motor mounted thereon, a depending propeller housing having a propeller at its lower end and driving connections operatively connecting the motor and the propeller and extending through the propeller housing, of means mounting said propelling unit on a vessel to turn about either one of two horizontal axes, one of which is located at the front of the propelling unit and the other of which is located adjacent the rear of said unit.

2. Means for mounting on a sea going vessel an outboard propeller mechanism having a propelling unit including a motor-support having a motor mounted thereon, a depending propeller housing having a propeller at its lower end and driving connections operatively connecting the motor and the propeller and extending through the propeller housing, said means including a base element adapted to be rigidly secured to the vessel, a support member adapted to extend in the fore and aft direction of the vessel and pivotally connected at its rear end to the base element to turn about a horizontal axis, and means pivotally mounting the propelling unit on the support mem- -ber at the front end thereof to turn about a second horizontal axis parallel to the first named horizontal axis and located in front thereof.

3. The combination with a vessel having a well at its stern which extends through the vessel and which is open at the rear, of means for mounting thereon a propeller mechanism comprising a propelling unit including a motor mounted on a motor-support, a depending propeller housing rigid with the motor-support and having a propeller at its lower end and driving connections between the motor and the propeller, said propeller housing depending through said well, said means including a base element rigidly secured to the vessel and having portions on each side of said well, a support element also having portions on each side of the well which are pivotally connected to the rear ends of the base portions and which is adapted to support the propelling unit, and means pivotally connecting the propelling unit to the front end of the support element.

-4. The combination of a sea going vessel having a well at its stern which'extends through the vessel and which is open at the rear, of means for mounting thereon an outboard propeller mechanism of the type having a propelling unit including a motor mounted on a motor-support, a depending propeller housing rigid with the motor-support and having a propeller at its lower end and driving connections between the motor and the propeller, and with the propeller housing depending through said well, said means including a base element presenting two angle iron members rigidly secured to the vessel, one on each side of said well, a support element also presenting two angle iron members on which the propelling unit is supported, means pivoting the rear end of each support element angle iron to the rear end of the corresponding base element angle iron, and means pivotally connecting the front end of the motor support to the front end of the support element angle iron members.

5. The combination as defined in claim 4 and which includes frangible means connecting the base element angle iron members to the support element angle iron members at points intermediate of their ends and normally preventing swinging movement of the support element angle iron members relative to the base element angle iron members, said frangible means being disrupted when the propeller housing strikes a submerged object during the backward movement of the vessel, thereby to permit the propelling unit to swing backwardly about the pivotal connection between the base element and the support element.

6. The combination as defined in claim 4 and which includes shear pins connecting the base element angle iron members and the support element angle iron members at points intermediate of their ends.

7. Means for mounting on a sea going vessel an outboard propeller mechanism of the type having a propelling unit including a motor-support having a motor mounted thereon, a depending propeller housing having a propeller at its lower end and driving connections operatively connecting the motor and the propeller and extending through the propeller housing, said means including a base element adapted to be rigidly secured to the vessel, 21 support member adapted to extend fore and aft of the vessel, means pivotally connecting the rear end of the support member to the base member to turn about a horizontal axis, and means pivotally mounting the propelling unit on the support member at the front end thereof to turn about a second horizontal axis parallel to the first named horizontal axis and located a fixed distance therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

